The Geek in the Pink
by starry night blue
Summary: Pink is for little girls, pink is for famous pop singers, pink is for the icing which decorates birthday cakes...pink is definitely not for a university guy. Or aren't colours important?
1. Prologue

**A/N: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Hello! Remember lil' ol' me? It's been such a long while since I last wrote a RK story, and I sure do hope I haven't lost my sense of what the characters are like. Anyway, I heard this song (Geek in the Pink) and decided that it would fit our beloved Rurouni perfectly! What other guy has the guts to wear pink, eh? So, this is where my story comes from!**

**Ah, well, enjoy!!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Prologue:**

_Dear Diary,_

_Men are jerks. _

_Alright, that's an exaggeration. I'll rephrase my sentence. University men are jerks. Er…university guys; I don't believe those are even close to being considered men. Honestly, the other day, I was just sitting in the cafeteria doing some research on my laptop, and a guy came and slid in next to me on the bench. He had squeezed me between the wall and the table, and I had nowhere to move! In the end, I ended up screaming for the security guards on campus to come and drag him away because he wouldn't leave me alone. Sheesh!_

_They say most people find their love in university and end up getting married. I don't think that would ever happen with me. If it did, then I would probably be dreaming._

-

"Excuse me, sir; I'm a bit late..."

There was a bit of a commotion as the new comer's book bag tore and the ten or so books toppled to the floor. There was a round of raucous laughter, and the book's owner fell down to his knees, trying to gather his books, flushing scarlet under the gaze of all those in the study hall. The professor cleared his throat significantly, and the laughter ceased. The new student scrambled up to his feet again, his arms laden with books, and everyone was able to take a good look at him.

Behind the flustered appearance was a short guy with long red hair and violet eyes. More interesting than his hair and eyes, was that cross-shaped scar on his left cheek...and the pink shirt he was wearing; it was rather like a tie; the students gathered in the hall, and the professor couldn't decide which they should consider odder.

"I don't believe I've seen you here before," the professor said, matter-of-factly.

"Er...yes, that's because this is my first day," the redhead replied, struggling to prevent his books from slipping to the floor again. "You'll find me under the name of Kenshin Himura."

The professor checked the attendance list. "Ah, yes...here you are," he said, tapping the clipboard with his pen. "Alright, Mr. Himura, do come in and find your self a seat. We were discussing velocity before you interrupted us."

The guy named Kenshin Himura nodded humbly, and staggered towards the rows of seat. Strangely, the empty seats he had noticed when he had first walked in were now either occupied by piles of books, or bags, and he found himself being forced to take the stairs up to the very last row of seats. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked, and it made him feel awkward. The students would've continued to watch him, if it weren't for the casual "Ehm" of the professor.

The last row wasn't as empty as it had seemed to be, for there was a raven-haired girl curled up across a couple of seats, fast asleep. Feeling certain that this girl won't force him away, as she hadn't noticed the fiasco of an entrance that he made, Kenshin sank down onto the seat next to her.

-

"Ahh, that was a good nap!"

Kaoru Kamiya stretched her arms and grinned at her best friend, Misao Makimachi, who was busy trying to shove three huge books into her already bulging bag to spare a glance at her friend. Students were already clearing out of the classroom, and a few lingered back to talk to the Professor. Misao, being uncoordinated most of the time, usually took a while to gather up all her things, which always led to them being the last to leave the classroom.

"You know you shouldn't sleep during lessons, Kaoru," Misao admonished, her voice a little strained. "You know how Somiya always sets his exam questions from his lectures!"

"Yes, I know, which is why you're going to lend me your notes," Kaoru said brightly. Misao opened her mouth to protest, but her friend clasped her eyes before her and went on, "I promise I won't sleep during class again! But I was up writing my history assignment last night, and I was dead tired this morning! Please give me your notes!"

Misao rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'm crazy for doing this, but I'll lend you my notes," she said, resigned. She managed to fasten her bag shut and let out a triumphant sound. "There! That should stop them from falling out the way they did with Pink!"

Kaoru was just starting to inquire about who Pink was when she accidentally bumped into someone, and he dropped the books he was carrying. "I'm sorry! I wasn't looking," she apologized, and looked up to see a guy with red hair and a cross-shaped scar, wearing a pink shirt; she was pretty sure she had never seen him around before, and she particularly knew everybody on campus. "Um..."

The guy she had bumped into smiled gently at her. "That's okay," he assured her.

"I'm sorry, let me help you with your books," she said, and as she bent down to pick up one glossy Chemistry book, her head knocked into his. "_Itai!_"

His eyes watering in pain, the guy grabbed her around the elbows and easer her back into a chair, oblivious to Misao, who was watching this whole interaction with a bemused expression. "Please do sit down, miss," he insisted, as she started to lean down to try and pick up his books once more. "You needn't trouble yourself, really."

Kaoru nodded and took to massaging her throbbing forehead, while watching him gather up his books from the floor. "You should get a bag, you know," she suggested, trying not to stare at the scar on his cheek; she found it totally mesmerizing.

"I did have a bag, but it tore this morning, rendering me defenseless against people who bump into me and cause me to drop my books to the floor," he said pointedly, and she laughed. He got up to his feet, books back in his arms again. "Did you have a good nap, by the way?"

Kaoru frowned, puzzled. "Erm...yes, I did," she replied.

The redhead smiled. "Good; I was worried I might've disturbed you," he said, sounding relieved. He started to walk away from her. "I'll see you around then. _Ja ne!_"

Still feeling like she had missed out on something, Kaoru offered him a small wave and waited until he was out of earshot, before rounding on her friend, who was trying to stifle a giggle. "_Who _was that?" she demanded. "I've never seen him around before!"

Misao started to explain, when another crash and several thuds interrupted her. They looked around, and saw that the guy had again dropped his books, and was now apologizing repeatedly to the guy he had collided with. Giggling, Misao turned to her perplexed friend. "And _that, _my dear, is Pink," she told her.

**- **

**A/N: (laughs) So, what did you think? Seems pretty funny, doesn't it? I wrote this in less than an hour, and I thought it was quite a good start to this story, no? I'm rather proud of it! Anyway, if you did like it, then could you please review? I know it would make me update a whole lot quicker!**

_- S. N. B._


	2. Orangeade

**A/N: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Hello! I'm back with my second chapter! Well…technically, it's the first chapter since the one before was an epilogue, but never mind. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews; I didn't imagine this silly lil' story would get 16 reviews for its first chapter! Individual thanks and replies at the bottom…but for now, let's get on with the chapter, shall we? Happy reading!!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 1: Orangeade**

"Kaoru, look out; your cup is overflowing!"

Realising that indeed the cold orangeade she was pouring into her plastic cup was now making a puddle on her tray and was gradually dampening her sandwich, Kaoru hastily pulled back the juice pitcher, made a grab for some tissue paper and started dabbing at the juice. Behind her, people were making impatient noises as a gesture for her to move up the line. She picked up her relatively dry tray and moved, with Misao close at her heels.

Kaoru stopped at the salad bar, and spooned some green salad onto her plate. One of the few things she loved about this particular campus was the cafeteria; it had an open-buffet system, and you could have your fill of food for a mere five bucks. Misao, however, wasn't getting anything for herself...which was rather odd considering that she was pretty gluttonous.

She frowned at her. "Is an apple and a bottle of water all what you will be having today?" she asked, gesturing at her bare tray.

"Hey! I'm not the one with the problem!" Misao said defensively, and Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "What's gotten you so distracted back there?"

Kaoru flushed, and quickly looked away. "N-nothing," she stuttered, feeling a bit flustered. She looked around for an escape route out of the subject. "Ooh, look! They have Greek salad today! My favourite!"

Misao narrowed her eyes at her. "You hate feta cheese," she pointed out.

The taller girl faltered. "Well, I still like olives," she persisted, and Misao gave her an exasperated look. She moved away from the salad bar, and headed for the main course area. She scrutinised the dishes for a moment, before deciding on the chicken with rice. Misao, on the other hand, continued to trail after her, all the while looking at her pointedly. "Look, it's nothing! I was just thinking about something!"

"Something? Or some _one_?"

Kaoru attempted to ignore her by making a show of looking for an empty table. "There are no empty tables today," she remarked.

Misao smirked. "The only table which is fairly empty has got Pink sitting to it," she said significantly. "How convenient."

Her friend rounded on her so quickly her cup of orangeade teetered for a moment on the tray before falling back into its position, contents intact. "Misao!" she said in a strangled tone. "How could you think such a thing? I was not...! I object...! It's just too ridiculous!"

A mischievous chuckle escaped Misao's lips. "Kaoru, shame on you; you're getting too old for crushes!" she admonished her.

"You're one to talk," Kaoru scoffed. "Don't think I haven't been on to you. You're jealous because Aoshi has been hanging around with that pretty newspaper editor, and you're trying to get him to notice you with all that make-up and the strict diet you're following!"

Misao's expression was unreadable, but after a moment, she strode away from her friend and right towards the table at which Pink was seated. Kaoru was mortified, and she hurried towards them just in time to hear Misao saying, "...and Kaoru wondered if it would be okay if we could join you."

"Yes! Because there aren't any empty tables around and yours looked fairly empty!" she said breathlessly.

The guy looked rather bemused, but he nodded, nonetheless. "I would be glad if you would join me," he said politely.

Shooting a discrete glare at Misao, Kaoru sat down across from him and smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you," she said. "If it weren't for you we'd have been forced to eat our lunch while standing!"

He smiled. "And we couldn't have that, now, could we? It would make eating a lot less enjoyable, and rather troublesome, yes," he said, and paused for a moment as if to recall a time where he had been forced to have his lunch while standing. "So...erm...we haven't been properly introduced."

"No, we haven't," she agreed. "I'm Kaoru Kamiya, and this is my best friend, Misao Makimachi."

"My name's Kenshin Himura, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Kaoru-dono, Misao-dono," he said, and reached across the table to shake their hands. Kaoru barely had time to register how polite he was, when his outstretched hand knocked over her cup, and the orange liquid tumbled over the tray and splattered across her chest. "Oh, no!"

Kaoru had to suppress a cry of frustration at that moment, and shuddered ever so slightly as the cold fluid seeped through the fabric of her shirt and to her skin. She managed a strained smile, and she reached for some napkins out of the dispenser. "That's alright," she assured him. "Accidents happen."

"I'm terribly sorry!" he exclaimed, leaping up to his feet and making a grab for the dispenser as well. "Here, let me help!"

"No, that's okay, I'll..."

"I insist!"

There was a frozen moment where Kaoru sat and stared down at Kenshin while he daubed gently at her chest with some napkins, and Misao clamped her mouth shut with her hand to stop her self from laughing. Kenshin, however, didn't seem to realise the gravity of what he'd done, and since Kaoru was too stunned to say anything, he only stopped when he was sure that fabric was dry enough.

He smiled apologetically at her as he settled back on his bench. "Well, I dried it the best I could, and luckily, your shirt is dark so the stain isn't very visible," he informed her. "If you want, you could give it to me later on and I'll have it cleaned for you."

Kaoru's smiled was almost mechanic, and it didn't help that Misao was shaking with silent laughter next to her. "No, thank you, Kenshin; what you did was enough," she said quietly.

"Ahh...pardon me!" he exclaimed again. "I spilled your juice! Will you be wanting a refill?"

"No, I don't want to..."

"But I spilled it! I should get you a refill!"

"Kenshin, it's alright..."

"Was it orangeade that you were having? I shall go get it right away."

"Kenshin!" she said sharply, and he paused midway off of the bench to stare at her. She forced herself to smile yet again. "I don't want any more orangeade, but thank you for the offer; that was very nice of you."

"Right, okay." Kenshin plopped down on the bench. He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly at them. "Well, that was embarrassing. I'm just so clumsy around you, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru's comprehension range was a bit wider than Kenshin's, and her cheeks coloured a bit at what he had said. Clearing her throat, she smiled warmly at him. "I've told you already...accidents always happen," she told him. "And sometimes those accidents are not as bad as they seem."

Kenshin shook his head. "Oh, I don't quite agree, Kaoru-dono; nothing good ever comes out of accidents! Never!" he said, and Kaoru nearly groaned out-loud.

**-**

**A/N: Done! Yes, I've decided to go with the short chapter approach; it helps to provide a lighter and more enjoyable romance, and it gets me updating more quickly because I don't have to worry about writing huge chapters! Anyway, I hope you like this one, because I'll be wanting reviews again! Oh, and replies to the reviews you've sent me last time:**

_**Klamisid:**_** Thank you; I'm glad you like it!**

_**Winter Sapphire:**_** Well, I'm pleased that people remember me! Hehe. Yeah; he's too kind for his own good. Thanks for reviewing!**

_**SzaharaTheSame:**_** I hope you still think it's a good story! Thanks!**

_**MysticFirefly:**_** (huggles) Aww, thank you so much! That's so nice of you to say! As for the roles being reversed, well, this is an AU, but there will be more Misao-ness later on. Thanks for the review!**

_**Quetzalcoatl Mistress:**_** LOL! Well, then, you'll be pleased to know that I've written two chapters of the story already, and I'm working on the third! (chuckle) Thanks for reviewing!**

_**Lt. RaIQ of the Boondock Mafia:**_** Doesn't it make you picture him in a skimpy outfit and pink hair? Thank you!**

_**Sketched Words:**_** I actually watched an AMV for Kenshin with that song! It was hilarious! Thank you!**

_**Kenshin's Mate:**_** Umm...no, there will be no lemons. This chapter's content may hint that there will be, but it's only to show how oblivious and innocent Kenshin is! **

_**Kagfan5:**_** Thanks!**

_**Abubi-chan:**_** Kenshin with glasses? (shakes head) No; he's not wearing 'em! But pink will always be part of his outfit! Hehe. Thanks for the review!**

_**Laughing riceball:**_** Isn't it? (laughs) Thank you!**

_**Sakura Kaoru-Chan:**_** Well, I guess this chapter answers your question, eh? Thanks!**

_**Thien Minh:**_** Ooh, mine is one of your first RK stories then? Yay! I hope you like this chapter, then! **

_**Lan Yue Hime:**_** Well, it's here now!**

_**AnimeSiren:**_** Glad you thought so! Thanks!**

_**Kenjenkei:**_** I'll be update frequently, so don't you worry! Thanks for the review!**

_- S. N. B. _


	3. Chutzpah

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Hello! I'm back with my third installment! Told you I'd be updating more quickly if the chapters were shorter! Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews you've sent last time; every one counts - they really make me happy! There's a reason why I'm called a Review Maniac, y'know. Hehe. Hmm...on second thoughts, that's an insight to my character I should've never told you about. Ah, well, anyway. Enjoy!!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 3: Chutzpah**

"Why is it that every time I come across you, I find that you've dropped something?"

From his position on the floor where he was trying to gather up his scattered books, Kenshin looked up at Kaoru, who was standing with her hands on her hips, and gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry if that offends you, Kaoru-dono, but I'm afraid I can't do anything about it," he replied.

Kaoru knelt down to help him pick up the books. "Of course you can do something about it, silly," she rebuked him. "You could start looking where you're going, for starters. Honestly, most of the time I'm looking at you I find you gazing at God-knows-what!"

Kenshin blushed, and she frowned at him; confused – was there anything about what she said that brought about blushing? He casually met her eye. "You've been watching me, Kaoru-dono?" he asked.

Kaoru stared at him in disbelief. She found it amazing how someone like him who obviously had no idea that dabbing at a girl's chest without her consent is probably called "harassment", should catch such an accidental, innocent phrase like hers and turn it against her. She swallowed; of course, he was right, too. Lately, she found herself keeping a constant eye on him, to the extent that she was starting to drop things and bump into people. However, she wasn't about to let him know that.

Moreover, she found it odd that she couldn't stop thinking about him…even though she knew so little regarding him. It had only been a week since they met, and they hadn't sat together ever since that embarrassing occasion in the cafeteria; their schedules clashed, and they only just met briefly in the hallways, stopping to exchange a quick chat.

She bonked him on the head with a book. "Don't switch this around to me. Honestly, you're just like Misao," she told him.

Kenshin laughed. "I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono," he apologized yet again. "But I really can't help it, though. I can't tell people to stop bumping into me on purpose."

Kaoru stared at him; she didn't know he was being bullied! He was always smiling whenever she saw him, so she just assumed that no one was bothering him…which she now realized was a stupid thought; who wouldn't pick on a guy wearing pink? Even Misao had been doing that. She lowered her gaze.

"You should stand up to them," she said quietly.

"No. I don't like to stir up trouble," he replied, smiling, and she started to protest, but he cut her off. "It's just easier if they think they've succeeded in pushing me around. To them, I'm just a guy in pink. If I throw a comeback at them, I'll be a guy in pink who needs to be beaten up. See my point?"

"Jerks."

"I'm sorry for troubling you with this, Kaoru-dono."

"That's alright. And why do you keep apologizing, anyway?"

"Erm…is that bad?"

"Well, it was cute at first. But when you keep saying you're sorry every other time you speak, it gets pretty annoying."

Kenshin was looking rather troubled now, and she felt a bit guilty; who was she to scold him about his perfectly good manners? Heck, most guys at university didn't know what "sorry" meant. They finished gathering up the rest of the books, and he shoved them back into his bag. When he still wouldn't say anything, she touched his arm gently.

"Hey, I have an idea," she told him, in an attempt to break the tension. He gave her a quizzical look, and she grinned. "I'll make a deal with you; if you can go through this entire day without saying sorry, I'll do something for you…but if you do say sorry, then you're going to have to do something for me."

"What sort of thing?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Oh, anything; it doesn't matter," she replied.

Kenshin pondered over this for a moment, but then he nodded, and they both shook hands over it…their hands remaining entwined a little longer than necessary, before Kaoru finally pulled away. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So, how are you going to know if I say…_it_ or not?" he asked.

Kaoru smiled at his near slip. "Well, I'm done for today…what about you?" she asked.

"Finished my classes, too."

She beamed. "Great! We could just pass time in some restaurant or café, and we'll call it a day by 7 p.m., what do you think?" she suggested.

He smirked. "Is that a date?" he asked.

Kaoru was starting to wonder if that whole incident with the orangeade was just an act of naivety. She didn't have a book to bonk him with this time, so she just swatted his arm. "No, it isn't," she retorted. "So, should we head off now? I know this little diner nearby; it really has the best French fries!"

"French fries are the same everywhere."

"Not there, they aren't!"

Slipping her hand through his fingers so she could lead him to said diner, she was able to feel the coarseness of his skin, and she wondered how it is that his hands were so rough. From experience with guys she used to date, and who always kept running their hands up and down her body, she knew that guys' hands weren't that less softer than girls' hands, but Kenshin's skin was different. She cast a quick glance back at him, and he caught her eye and smiled at her.

"Hey, Kenshin," she said softly, squeezing his hand.

"Hmm?"

"Your hands…they're really rough," she blurted out; that was one thing about Kaoru – she never was able to keep anything to herself. It turned many people off, but she was never able to stop the words from coming out. Misao liked to call her "cheeky"…a word they'd picked up once reading a British autobiography in English Literature.

"I work," he replied, before gently pulling his hand out of her grasp.

He didn't seem to want to specify what kind of work he did, though, and Kaoru, for the life of her, couldn't imagine what type of work made the hands of someone so rough. She took his pulling away a sign that he didn't want to discuss it with her any further, and so, despite her desire to find out more about him and what he did, kept her mouth clamped shut.

There was really more to Kenshin than just a polite guy dressed in pink.

-

**A/N: Wee! Done! Writing short chapters is so delightful; it barely takes up time! I left you at a cliffie, didn't I? Well, every story has that. Otherwise, what would be the point of it? And now I've added a hint of mystery, too! Oh, "chutzpah" means "cheekiness", btw! Next up, you get to find what comes of that little deal our two protagonists made! Now, let's head for my replies! **

**_Summerstar: _Thanks! I'm glad you do!**

**_Henry-Coreen-Lover125: _Yes; he is a klutz, but we love him for it, ne? Thanks for reviewing!**

**_MysticFirefly: _Y'know, I'd hug you back but then we'd have a chain of never-ending hugs! (hugs, anyway) Ooh, yes, Shinta is too cool! Look at me, in love with my own character! There will be more Misao/Aoshi later! Maybe a little chat between Aoshi and Kenshin, too! Hehe. Thank you!**

**_SzaharaTheSame: _I'm glad you share the same opinion! Here's your fast update! Thank you!**

**_Animebdoll: _Thanks!**

**_Onhiro: _What do you think after reading this chapter, eh? (smiles) Thanks for the review!**

**_Jegar Sahaduta: _Ohh, I don't know about eating him up…wouldn't that make Kaoru a cannibal? (chuckles) Thank you!**

**_Adelaide MacGregor: _Thank you, Adelaide!!! (glomps) **

**_Winter Sapphire: _And now we find that he might've not been completely oblivious!! Dun, dun, dun! Thank you!!**

**_Raven-haired girl: _I don't like pink either! I don't mind it on Kenshin, though! Thanks!**

**_Quetzalcoatl Mistress: _Lol! Btw, don't wish that. It's a curse, really, having a lot of ideas in your head you find yourself trying to keep up with five stories at the same time. (sigh) Thank you!!**

**_Sakura Kaoru-Chan: _I know! (laughs) Thank you!**

**_Klamisid: _Well, you're wearing pink…what do you expect people to do to you? Poor Kenshin. Thanks for reading!**

**_Lt. RaIQ of the Boondock Mafia: _Gomen! And now we're getting French fries later on! I'm starting to get hungry…hehe. Thanks!**

**_Sketched Words: _Ahh, you saw it? The song fit like anything! I can never make an AMV like that! Well, she likes him enough not to do that. Thank you!**

**_Clueless Girl: _Aww, thanks…for everything else, too! (hugs)**

**--**

**Don't forget to review, folks!**

_- S. N. B. _


	4. Chitchat

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

**Hello!! I'm back with the forth chapter! Ain't I quick? Hehe. I was going to update yesterday, but I got caught up with some sitcoms, and I forgot altogether (grins sheepishly). Anyway, thank you all for the nice reviews, and without further ado, I'll leave you to read! Enjoy!!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 3: Chitchat**

"Well, this is nice."

Kaoru and Kenshin were now sitting across from each other at a table in the diner she had proclaimed to be the best maker of French fries. They had ordered already, and were just sitting silently until their food arrived...or maybe it was just that they didn't know what they should be talking about now that they were sitting along together, with no books to pick up and no orangeade to clean off. Kaoru thought that _that _stab at conversation was weak, but it was still progress.

She nodded. "Isn't it?" she said, smiling. "Just wait till you taste those fries; they're good!"

"I still don't think that fries can be different any..."

"Here they come!" she interrupted him, as the waitress approached them with a tray. She watched eagerly as the latter placed a large plate of fries between them, and handed them each a huge chocolate sundae each. "Thanks!"

Kenshin was eyeing the food with what looked like alarm. "Too much junk food..." he whispered, once the waitress has walked off.

"Oh, give me a break!" Kaoru protested, making a grab for the ketchup bottle and squeezing out the red paste all over the plate, much to his horror. "Don't tell me you're a health-food addict; I won't buy that. There's nothing wrong about perfectly healthy potato strips."

"Potato strips which are deep-fried in fat," he retorted. "Do you know how much calories are in that? It's not good for you! Why, I once came across an article about grease while doing a bit of background-reading for my biology lesson in high school, and I found out that..."

Kaoru shoved a couple of potato strips in his open mouth. "Shut up. Eat," she said flatly. He nodded hurriedly, chewed the food and swallowed it. She smiled appreciatively at him. "Well? How do they taste? Aren't they the best fries you've ever had?"

She didn't know, but Kenshin only nodded again to stay out of harm's reach. Gingerly, he reached out for another strip. "So, what does the Kaoru-dono do with her life?" he asked her.

"She studies, she plays, she hangs out with her friends...she eat _tons _of junk food," she added with a slight smirk. "And she occasionally gets busy helping boys pick up the books they become so prone to dropping when she's around."

Kenshin turned a delicate shade of red. "I do not drop them on purpose!" he protested. "I'm just very clumsy! You know that professor who got sent to the hospital a couple of days ago because of a head injury?"

"Yes..." she said slowly.

"That was me. I accidentally swung my bag at her, and it struck her head. Needless to say, she blacked out," he muttered, and Kaoru burst out laughing. "It's really not funny; the university board might sue...but if it gets you laughing, then let it be. You have a pretty laugh, Kaoru-dono."

It was her turn to blush now, but she said nothing about it. "So...um...Kenshin, _why _do you always wear pink?" she asked casually. "I mean, pink always makes a part of your costume!"

"I like pink," he answered simply.

Kaoru blinked. "You like pink?" she asked, and he nodded. "You're kidding! I'm a girl, and I absolutely despise pink!"

"Pink has been giving a stereotypical meaning; only silly people wear pink all the time," he told her. "I look at pink from a whole different angle. Do you notice how you automatically imagine babies when you think of the color pink? And what are babies associated with? Innocence. Thereby, I like pink because it symbolizes untainted purity. One who wears pink is innocent and blissfully ignorant...at least, that's what I wish to be."

Kaoru made a noisy slurp at her sundae, and Kenshin seemed to break out of his reverie.

"I sort of strayed back there, didn't I?" he said, grinning sheepishly.

She stirred the contents of her glass with her straw. "When you say tainted...do you mean dirty? Do you mean like you're a male stripper or something?" she asked casually, and his mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm not judgmental at all. I strongly believe that what a person does for a living doesn't necessarily reflect on a person's character. Look at Robin Hood; he's a thief, but he's still a very good person...very charitable."

Kenshin laughed then, a real, heartfelt laugh. It was rather long, too...and when he stopped, Kaoru noticed that he had tears in his eyes. "I...I'm sorry; I didn't mean to laugh like that," he wheezed. "You think I'm a stripper? I like your Robin Hood image, don't get me wrong...but I'm not a stripper."

"Then you're hands aren't all rough from...?"

"Gripping the pole? No," he replied, appearing bemused. "Who'd get rough hands from holding onto a pole?"

"Oh, I don't know," she replied. "Not someone who'd just lost a bet, though, I'm sure."

Kenshin blinked. "Erm...what?"

She grinned impishly. "You just said you're sorry because you were laughing," she informed him. "Didn't you notice?"

"Oh, no...no, you're not pulling me into this."

She laughed. "I'm sorry, Kenshin, but you lost the bet," she replied. "We made a deal. If you apologized to me once during this day, you would have to do something for me, remember?"

He hung his head. "What do you want me to do, then?" he said miserably. Kaoru was just about to open her mouth to tell him to finish the whole plate of fries, when a beeping sounded, and he quickly started fumbling with his bag. He pulled out a beeper, and glanced down at the screen. "Oh."

"You have a beeper?" she demanded.

Kenshin scrambled up to his feet, pulling his bag over his shoulder. "Yes...uh, I'm really sorry, Kaoru-dono, but I really need to go," he said hurriedly. "Thank you. This was nice. I'll see you around then, shall I?"

"Hey! What about the bet?" she said angrily.

"Just hold me to it, okay, Kaoru-dono? I promise I'll do anything."

Kaoru sipped at her sundae as she watched him leave through the door, and continued to watch him through the diner's windows until he got into a cab and it disappeared from view. Then she turned to the barely untouched plate of fries, and the sundae which was still full to the brim and realized something...aside from the fact that Kenshin was a rather mysterious bloke with a beeper...

Kenshin had left the bill for her to pay. He was a cheapskate _and _a geek.

-

**A/N: Chapter 4 done! (squee) Do you like it? Is it getting a bit more interesting? Kaoru's just too bold, isn't she? Hehe. Well, as always, reviews are the best motivation for me to write! And now, I'll head off for my replies:**

_**Winter Sapphire: **_**How do you like their "date", then? Thanks for reviewing!**

_**R.Kay: **_**Glad you liked it! Thank you!!**

_**Onhiro: **_**My lips are sealed. You're just going to have to read the upcoming chapters to find out. Thanks!**

_**Adelaide MacGregor: **_**Arigatou-gozaimasu!!**

_**SzaharaTheSame: **_**No, you did review last chapter. Ooh, yes, Kenshin's job...no, he's really not a stripper. (chuckle) Thank you!!**

_**Sketched Words: **_**(giggles) And now he's a miser...hehe. Thank you!!**

_**Reignashii: **_**(gasp) I remember you! Lol! You used to review my FFB!! Thank you!!**

_**Lt. RaIQ of the Boondock Mafia: **_**Nope. Chutzpah means boldness. Thank you very much!**

_**Evee-san: **_**Aren't we all curious about our geek? Thanks!**

_**Flaming-amber: **_**Oh, God, yes, I know; it's frustrating! Thank you so much for going through its trouble to review! Yes! It's getting more interesting...and what's with the beeper? Hmm...hehe. Dwell on it! **

_**Summerstar: **_**I guess you got your answer! Thank you!**

_**Rurouni October: **_**I love your name! Well, mainly because my birthday's in October. Hehe. I'm glad you like it! Thanks!**

_**JM: **_**Yup; I know. I started writing this story after watching it. (smiles) Thanks much!**

_- S. N. B. _


	5. Barney

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

**Hello, all! I'm so incredibly sorry I hadn't updated in such an unbelievably long while when I'd promised to update very quickly, but I was away on vacation, and you don't expect me to write on my vacation, do you? Ah, well, anyway, I'll try to update more frequently now! Promise! But for now, happy reading!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 5: Barney**

_**Barney, n. : **_a noisy argument. (Figures, eh?)

**-**

"Misao, you're pathetic. Just go and talk to him."

The short girl just banged her head against the kitchen table, and peered at the tall hunk from between her bangs. Kaoru, who was sitting next to her, laughed and gave her friend's shoulder a gentle squeeze. Misao had been obsessing about University Forth Year, Aoshi Shinomori, ever since the day when she'd dropped a book and he had picked it up for her. Obviously, to Misao, that simple action meant that they were meant to be. It had been two years since that incident, and Misao hadn't exchanged a single word with him soon.

"Look at him, Kaoru...just look at him," Misao whispered.

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "I honestly can't imagine what you see in him," she retorted, and Misao rounded on her, her eyes wide. Kaoru sighed. "Okay, fine, so he may be a little good-looking, and I do admit he has a nice tush on him, but...he's too cold! He barely talks at all!"

"Don't say that about him!" Misao said hotly.

"Why not? Would it hurt his feelings?" Kaoru teased her. "This guy doesn't even have feeling in the first place!"

Misao suddenly gasped, and her hands gripped Kaoru's arm tightly. "Look at that! Look at that!" she said urgently, and Kaoru looked. "Aoshi is talking to Kenshin! Maybe they're friends! Oh, Kaoru, this is perfect! If you could get your boyfriend to get me and Aoshi together just for once, then everything will work out!"

"Oh, yeah, like that's ever going to...my _what?_" she screeched.

Misao blinked. "Why, your boyfriend, of course," she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Whatever gave you the impression that Kenshin and I were together?" Kaoru demanded.

Her friend shrugged. "I don't know...rumors spread," she said. "Something about someone seeing you and Kenshin going out to that diner nearby, and then exiting in a cab together, or something like that...I still don't understand why I had to get my information from the gossip network when _you're _supposed to be my best friend! How come you never told me that you were dating Kenshin?"

"Because I'm not!" Kaoru exclaimed. "We only went there to get some fries, that's all. He had barely sat there for half an hour when he got paged and had to leave in a hurry. That's the only time I went out anywhere with him!"

"He got paged?" Misao said, confused - obviously, that was the only thing that had caught her attention. "Why would he get paged? Does he work?"

"I don't know, Misao," Kaoru said, wearily. "Well, I know that he does work, but I'm not sure what he does. As I said before, he left before I could ask him anything else. He even left the bill for me to pay!"

"That's strange," Misao murmured, and then she grinned again. "So, did he kiss you? How was it like? I heard red-heads were pretty good kissers!"

"Misao, you aren't listening! We didn't kiss!" her friend said angrily. "We hardly held each other's hands!"

"Ha! So you did hold hands!" Misao said triumphantly. Kaoru groaned, but she ignored her and was bouncing on the cafeteria bench. "Oh, he's coming our way now! Make sure to ask him to bring Aoshi over to our table!"

"What? No! I'm not going to do...hello, Kenshin!" she exclaimed, in a cheery voice which didn't sound anything like hers. In truth, she was still a bit angry at him for leaving her in the middle of their "french-fry date" and left the bill for her to pay, without so much as an explanation to as why he needed to leave. Furthermore, she still had the bet to consider...which gave her the comfort of knowing that she'll be able to pay him back.

"Hello, Kaoru-dono," he said, smiling at her. "May I sit down?"

"Is your beeper off, then?"

"Excuse me?"

Kaoru regarded him coolly. "Oh, you know, if your beeper was to sound while you were sitting with us, I'd rather you didn't sit down, because then that would just be really irritating for us," she told him.

Kenshin looked down at her, bemused. "Kaoru-dono, I'm sorry, but I really had to go the other time; it was very important," he insisted, but she just played with a strand of her hair. "I'm really sorry, Kaoru-dono, but I can't turn off my beeper. I was asked to keep it on the entire time."

Kaoru sighed. "Well, it can't be helped, then," she said, and gestured for him to sit down.

He smiled gratefully, before settling down across from them. "Hello, Misao-dono," he said politely.

"Hello, Kenshin!" she said brightly. "Umm...Kenshin, who is that guy you were talking to a few moments ago?" Next to her, Kaoru was straining not to roll her eyes.

"Oh, that was Aoshi Shinomori," Kenshin replied, and Misao nodded eagerly. "Erm...I've met him around before I attended this university. We met on a...umm...art convention. There was a tour, and Aoshi was part of it and..."

"You're a terrible liar, Kenshin," Kaoru admonished him, and he gave her a puzzled look. "Art convention? I might buy it from you, but I don't think Aoshi is the type to go to art conventions. Did you meet him on your job? I wouldn't be surprised if Aoshi worked in a strip club, as well. He certainly has the right looks for it."

Misao's jaw dropped. "Aoshi works in a strip club?" she yelped. "Where? Do you have the address?"

"Misao, calm down!" Kaoru cried - this Aoshi-craze was getting way out of control. Misao realized how she'd acted and she slid down in her seat. Kaoru sighed and shook her head. "So, is he a business accomplice? What exactly do you two do? And remember, if you don't say anything, I shall automatically assume that you two work in a strip club!"

"Oh, c'mon...where did this strip club deal come from, anyway?" he demanded.

Kaoru reached across the table and grabbed one of his hands. "Your hands! They're so rough!" she exclaimed. "Football players don't have hands as rough as yours!"

"Kaoru-dono..." he said, pulling his hand away.

Kaoru clapped her hands in sudden inspiration. "I know! Remember that bet we had?" she said, and he nodded slowly. "You told me to hold you to it, and that you'll do anything. So, I want you to tell me about this mystery job of yours."

Kenshin appeared nonplussed for a few moments. "Kaoru-dono, I can't..." he replied.

"Kenshin, you promised!" she protested. "Where's the man's code of honor?"

Kenshin gave her another bemused look. "I don't believe I've ever tied myself to that code," he told her.

"Well, tie yourself to it this time! You promised you would do anything," she said stubbornly.

"See? You said it. I would _do_ anything, and not _say _anything," he retorted, and Kaoru mouthed soundlessly for a moment. Kenshin folded his arms and grinned at her. "So, what would you like me to do for you, Kaoru-dono? I will do anything."

Kaoru scrutinized him for a moment. "Walk me home, why don't you?" she asked.

"Gladly done."

-

**A/N: I'm done, as well! I was so amused when I learned that barney meant quarrelling! (laughs) Now I have more reason to hate that purple dinosaur! So, we're now suspicious about Aoshi, too! Any guesses to as to what he has to do with Kenshin? It's certainly not art; I can tell you that. Hehe. I'm actually quite eager to write the next chapter, so keep the reviews coming! Till later!**

(I'm too busy to write review replies this time. Gomen!)

_- S. N. B. _


	6. Promenade

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Howdy! See, I'm coming back with new chapters more quickly now, aren't you all pleased? Hehe. Thank you all for the reviews you've sent on my latest chapter! Almost there to 100 now! (chuckles) Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, too! Enjoy!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 6: Promenade**

It wasn't cold, but yet Kaoru felt a bit chilly as she walked side-by-side with Kenshin. He was being awfully quiet, and hadn't spared her even the briefest of looks ever since they got off campus. Aside for the small exchange where he asked about her house's whereabouts, the entire walk was rather uneventful.

Kaoru sighed audibly, and he did glance at her then. "Is anything wrong?" he asked.

She smiled nervously and shook her head. "No, everything's fine," she replied.

"Good."

"Good."

He lapsed into silence again, and she had to fight the impulse of wanting to strangle him. She found Kenshin rather strange...usually, when she walking with a guy, he'd be resting his hand on the small of her back, deftly trying to reach under her shirt...at which point she'd knee him in the groin and storm off. But Kenshin was barely even looking at her, let alone trying to touch her...not that she wanted him to reach under her shirt - it was just the silence was starting to weigh heavily on her.

"So..." she said conversationally. "...nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

While she mentally kicked herself at the weak stab at speech, Kenshin cast a mild look around. "Ah, yes, it is," he agreed. "The weather is very pleasant."

Kaoru stared at him, aghast. That was not the right response. Usually, when someone started talking about the weather, it was a cue for the other person to start a conversation, and not just agree about the weather. _Just how stupid can you get, Kenshin?_

He realized she was staring at him, and he blinked. "Erm...are you sure everything's alright, Kaoru-dono?" he asked again.

"No..." she said, and paused; why should she be hiding anything from him? _To hell with it. _She glared at him. "Yes! Why the hell are you being so quiet? You're usually such a chatterbox! I don't have to worry about coming up with topics for conversation when you're around!"

Kenshin looked mortified. "I'm a..._chatterbox_?" he asked.

"Well...maybe chatterbox is too strong a word," she backtracked. "But still! Is there a reason why you're not saying anything? We were just talking about ten minutes ago when we were in the cafeteria!"

"I didn't mean to be rude, I swear!" he said, sounding slightly alarmed. "I just...well, I don't know what to talk to you about, Kaoru-dono! I barely know you!"

_Damn. He makes a good point. _

"When I'm in university, I can always talk to you about lessons and such," he persisted. "But now that we're outside, I really can't imagine what I should be discussing with you...I don't want to say anything which would invade your personal space."

Kaoru paused. She hated to admit it, but Kenshin had a pretty good reasoning. However, she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of knowing that. "And who's fault is that?" she asked, and he blinked again. "You never tell me anything about yourself. You're always so secretive!"

Kenshin gave a nervous laugh. "Me? Secretive? Kaoru-dono, I don't know what you're talking about; I'm only what you see of me, and nothing more," he replied. "I'm really not hiding anything. I'm simply Kenshin Himura, a student of chemical engineering."

"Oh yeah?" she said challengingly. "What's your job, then?"

"I don't understand why you're so insistent on finding out what I do..."

She rolled her eyes. "And you say you aren't secretive," she muttered. Kenshin then stepped around her, blocking her way and causing her to come to a stop. She frowned at him. "Kenshin, get out of the way."

"Kaoru-dono, I _can't_ tell you what I do," he insisted. "I wish I could, but I really can't. I'm not allowed to say anything. I swore on my life."

Her brow furrowed even more deeply. "And why's that? Why should your job be so secretive?" she demanded. "Kenshin, if you wish to remain friends with me, then you have to respect the fact that I hate it when things are hidden from me."

"Kaoru-dono, I can't tell you _because _you're my friend," he said earnestly. He reached out and gripped her shoulders firmly, much to her surprise - he had never deliberately laid his hands on her. "You don't understand the danger I'd put you in if I let you in on what I do. You could get seriously hurt, and I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you."

Kaoru gazed into his face for a moment, trying to make something out of his expression. She shrugged his hands away. "Oh, c'mon, do you really expect me to buy the I-want-to-protect-you speech?" she said scathingly. "I thought you were better than that, Kenshin."

"Kaoru-dono..."

She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't even be so nosy...I mean, you're right; I do barely know you," she replied. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "You don't have to walk me back home. I'll go the rest of the way...it's not very far away from here."

"Oh, I can't do that!" he exclaimed. "A deal's a de...oh, excuse me for a moment."

Kaoru watched wearily as Kenshin extracted a beeper out of his pocket. She was surprised to see that it was different than the last one she saw with him. "Hey, what happened to your last beeper?" she asked curiously.

"Uh...I accidentally shoved it into the washing machine with the rest of my clothes," he said, looking embarrassed...and Kaoru believed him then; Kenshin was the type to do such a thing. He studied the message on his beeper now, and sighed. "Kaoru-dono, I'm so sorry..."

"I already told you that I continue on my own," she cut him off. "You go do what you have to do."

He inclined his head in a small bow. "Thank you, Kaoru-dono," he murmured. "And I'm sorry again. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Yeah, okay. See you around."

She watched for a moment as he turned on his heels and ran off in the other direction, before sighing heavily and going back on her way. With her mind so preoccupied, she failed to notice the individual who had now stepped out from behind a clump of bushes, busy returning a long-lens camera into its case.

-

**A/N: Yesh! I finished my sixth chapter! To be frank, the direction in which I'm heading is a bit hazy for me; I still haven't completely decided what I'm going to do there. The plot is there, but I'm still uncertain about a few things. Ah, well. Please review!**

_- S. N. B. _


	7. Carnage

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Hello, my dears! I'm sorry it took me a bit long to update this story, but I've been suckered into joining a Harry Potter fanfiction convention, and I've been a bit busy writing for it. Heh. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews you've sent the last time! Let's proceed with the chapter now, shall we? **

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 7: Carnage**

"Himura."

Kenshin looked up from what he was doing, and met the cold gaze of his colleague, Aoshi Shinomori. The latter wasn't looking very pleased, but that wasn't really new to Kenshin - Aoshi usually always looked unimpressed. "Yes?" he said, because Aoshi didn't seem to want to be the one to start the dialogue.

"I don't like what you're doing, Himura," Aoshi stated.

"Oh? I hope I haven't been performing inefficiently?" he asked with polite puzzlement.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," Aoshi retorted, now standing, towering, over Kenshin, who was seated at a stainless-steel table. "You've been getting too close to that girl on campus, and that's not tolerated. We've come here to do business, and only business we will do. If you want to have fun, you can go pick a prostitute off the street. Do what you have to do and then finish her off. No one will miss a hooker, but a popular university student will most surely be missed. Keep it simple and clean."

Kenshin snorted, and rested the long blade that he'd been polishing on the table. "You're one to talk, Shinomori," he muttered.

"So you aren't denying it?" Aoshi questioned.

"It's not the issue of me denying it or not," Kenshin replied. "It's the issue of you being attracted to the friend of that popular university student, yourself."

The taller man raised an eyebrow. "That's different," he said coldly. "I haven't even said a word to that girl. Yes, you're right - I may be attracted to Misao Mackimachi, but I'm not about to go telling her that. I'll keep her away from me at a safe distance if that's what it takes to keep her alive. I won't go out to cozy little diners with her, and walk her home."

"Have you been watching me, Shinomori?"

Kenshin didn't even have to look up or stand to his feet for Aoshi to sense the anger that was vibrating off of him. He calmly sat down at the table across from him, folding his arms in front of him. "No, I haven't been watching you," he replied. "You forget how competent the gossip network is on the university campus. I've heard several rumors concerning that girl and _Pink_."

Kenshin twitched, and his hand automatically reached for the hilt of his sword. "Now, look here, Shinomori! You obviously forgot that I'm only giving off the impression of being a geek because you asked me to! Because you told me that I needed to go undercover!" he seethed. "I will not stand to hear any banter from your side!"

Aoshi's thin lips stretched a few millimeters. He appeared to be highly amused. "Relax, Himura, I was just informing you of my sources, that's all," he said softly, and Kenshin just scowled. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I won't do anything about it," Kenshin muttered. "I've already drew lines for Kaoru. I made her see that we can't be anything more than just school mates. I think she's very suspicious of me, anyway, since I keep getting paged on my beeper when I'm with her."

"Oh?"

"She's taken a liking to the theory that I'm actually a male stripper, and that those calls I get are from sex-crazed women who I must run to serve," he continued, and Aoshi couldn't help but release a snort of laughter. "Don't laugh. She thinks you're a stripper, too."

Aoshi subdued right away, much to Kenshin's glee. "Right, well, it's better than her actually knowing what we are, I suppose," he said quietly.

Kenshin nodded silently. The clock chimed above his head, announcing ten p.m. He got up to his feet, and sheathed his sword. "I best be off," he said. "The sooner we get done with this mission, the better, and the quicker we get back to our hometown."

He didn't wait for Aoshi to respond before leaving the room. He exited the building where he and Aoshi had taken residence, and stole into the night, his small feet barely touching the littered floors of the dark alleyways as he ran in pursuit of his marked target. The cold night's air rushed against his face, and made his crimson hair stream behind him. His violet eyes were wide and wary, filled with the murderous intent that always came upon him when he was out to kill.

Upon reaching his destination, he lurked in the shadows, waiting for his target to come out of the office building were it supposedly worked. It was better to deal with a target as an object, this way he'd feel no remorse when he finished them off. It was barely a few moments before the target came out of the building. It was a nervous-looking creature, with half-moon spectacles and a black suit. He was hardly the type that caught your attention twice.

Kenshin followed him stealthily to the almost bare parking lot, where his little blue car was waiting. He waited until the man's back was to him, as he dug into his pockets for his car keys, and the he attacked. He crept silently behind him, drawing out his sword as he did. His hand was over the man's mouth, blocking out his gurgled scream, before the sword sliced through his back. The man seemed to convulse between Kenshin's arms, before he became still altogether. Kenshin let him drop to the floor, a lifeless corpse.

An item dropped from the man's limp hand. It was a wallet, and it lay open to reveal two small pictures of a boy and a girl. The man's kids. Or rather, his orphans.

Kenshin gazed at them expressionlessly for a moment, before turning on his heels and walking away from the scene. Often, after he'd met Kaoru, he wondered if she saw the murderer in him when she looked upon him. He wondered whether she knew what a vile person he was underneath his innocent, naive exterior.

"Hello, Kenshin!" Kaoru said brightly when she saw him on campus the next morning.

_I guess not. _

-

**A/N: Well, well, well. Kenshin is not as innocent as he seems, is he? Or is he not? People who've read stories of mine before know that sometimes things are not what they seem, so don't think you've figured out the whole plot just yet. Anyway, please review!**

**Thanks!**

_- S. N. B. _


	8. Whodunit

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Hello! I'm back with a quick update! I was actually quite eager to write chapter eight, so I would've updated soon anyway. I'm glad you all liked the last chapter - it really shed Kenshin in a different light, didn't it? (grins) Thanks for all the reviews! And now, let's get to chapter 8, shall we? Enjoy!!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 8: Whodunit**

Most of the employees in the electronics company had been given a leave for the day, save for those who hadn't checked out after ten fifteen p.m. last night. These unfortunate employees were each confined to the privacy of the offices on the higher floors, with but only an investigator to keep them company. The area around the building had been restricted to the public, whose curiosity kept edging them towards the scene.

Several police cars had pulled up into the almost bare parking lot, and many officers were huddled around next to a small car. White markings were drawn across the ground where a body once had been. It had been moved over the earlier hours of the morning to the local morgue.

An investigator with spike brown hair was kneeling next to the markings. He ran his fingers across the white chalk, as if trying to figure something out of it. This was the fifth murder this week, and he wasn't getting head or tails out of them. They were all obviously linked, but there was never any sort of clue left on the scene, which always left the police in a state of bafflement. The investigator sighed and got up to his feet.

"Sir?" one of the officers said.

"Has the body been identified and analyzed?" he asked wearily.

"Yes, sir," the officer replied. "He is-"

The investigator waved an impatient hand. "Don't bother, I'm going to the morgue," he cut him off. "The doctor will have all the answers I need. Don't let anyone approach the scene, and I want you to scan the car for prints. See if we can find anything, because we sure as hell need any clue we can get our hands on."

The officers stood back to let him pass, and he made his way to his car. He switched into gear and immediately pulled out of the parking lot. He knew the route to the morgue perfectly well, considering the countless visits he paid it to check on murder victims...and other things. It was only a few moments before he reached his destination. Showing his badge at the front door, he walked inside, making his way through the quiet, eerie corridors of the morgue.

"Kitsuni," he said, pushing his way through the double doors of the vast room.

The raven haired woman standing next to the examination table looked up at him, and a sly smirk crossed her face. "Why, hello, rooster head," she teased him, and he scowled at her. "You must be quite happy about these murders, for they give you all the more reasons to come here, eh?"

"Don't be ridiculous; that would just make me as bad as those assassins," he retorted, and the smile slipped of the woman's face - obviously he wasn't in playtime mood. He shoved his hands in his pockets and approached the examination table, where a corpse was laid out on his front on the cold metal surface, so that his back faced upwards. A huge, gaping wound slit the body from the base of the neck till the small of its back. The blood had already dried and formed scabs, but the damage was done. "Just like all the others."

The doctor nodded. "Just like all the others," she echoed. "We're not dealing with an ordinary assassin. Other than the fact that he actually uses a sword to kill his victims, you must admire the precision with which he does it. All the others bodies have the exact same wound. I'm sure that if I measured their length, it would be approximately the same for all of them. Also, he knows where to cut them - slicing through one's spine is an effective way to end one's life."

"No clues at all, then?" he asked, sounding rather hopeful.

"I don't know what you're expecting, love, but really, the sword will not chip and leave splinters in the wound, and the murderer's obviously fast at what he does, so he's not going to linger long enough to leave _hairs_ on his victim," she told him.

He sighed wearily. "I don't know what to make of this," he mumbled, pushing a hand through his hair. "I can't find an obvious link between the victims. One's a technician, the other's a bar tender, and let's not forget the doctor and the journalist. There's no common feature between them, and they all have perfectly clean records, so I'm forced to rule out any grudge murders. They couldn't be more different!"

"Facts are not just going to look you in the face, you know," she admonished him, and he gave her a dark look. "I'm just saying, those guys have done something. There's something mutual between them. I mean, for God's sake, this is not a game! I don't think this murderer is killing for fun - there has to be some sort of motive."

"He's a psycho, that's what he is...excuse me for a minute," he added, as his phone started ringing. He flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Nii-san," came the voice of his sister on the other end. "Where are you? I was so worried when I woke up today and didn't find you in the apartment, and you didn't even leave a note! Is everything alright?"

"Sorry, kid," he replied. "There was a murder and I was called in a hurry."

"Jeez, another one?" she said in exasperation. "Isn't this like the forth or fifth this week?"

"Fifth, and please stop screaming it from the rooftops," he teased, and she cried in protest. He couldn't help but smile. "Look, I'm a bit busy at the moment, so I'm going to have to end the call. Remember, though, be careful; just about anyone-"

"...could be a murderer," she continued for him. "I know, I know. You keep telling me that."

"Alright, then; glad we're clear. Good bye, Kaoru," he said, before hanging up. He was totally unaware that his little sister had only just hung up the phone before turning to wave at and hurrying to talk to the murderer he was stalking.

-

**A/N: Weee! Done! I like it when things get darker in a story; it makes everything all the more interesting, ne? In case you haven't guessed - Sano is the investigator and Megumi is the doctor. I wanted to make things a little more complex, hence the sibling relationship between Sano and Kaoru. Well, I do hope you've liked this chapter! Reviews will be very much welcome!**

**Ja ne!**

_- S. N. B. _


	9. Canoodle

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

**Hello! Chapter nine here! I was rather difficult to come up with, but in the end I finally managed to get the lazy SNB off of her bum to write me - it wasn't easy, I grant you, but I managed to persuade her by mentioning the lovely reviews you've sent for my sister, Chapter eight. So, I'm finally finished, and now, I invite you to read me, and enjoy!**

**The Geek in the Pink **

**Chapter 9: Canoodle**

"Kaoru-dono? What are you doing here?"

Kenshin had been just coming out of the main doors of the university campus when he stumbled upon Kaoru, who was perched on the bottom of the steps, her head between her legs. He was surprised to see her there because she had already told him she was heading home about two hours ago. When she didn't look up at him, he sat down on the step above hers, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, but she didn't budge. Frowning, he squeezed her shoulder. "Kaoru-dono?"

When she still wouldn't respond, he leaned down and peered below her arms, hoping to catch a glimpse of her face. What he saw rather disturbed him. He shook her a bit roughly now. "Kaoru-dono, what are you doing sleeping here on the stairs?" he demanded. "Wake up. Wake up now, I tell you!"

Kaoru woke up with a sudden jerk, and her head shot up immediately. She looked around frantically. "What? What happened?" she said drowsily.

Kenshin regarded her with a bemused expression on his face. "What happened is that you've been sleeping on the stairs for God knows how long," he replied. "Check your bag. See if someone nicked you while you were having your nap."

Still looking a bit dazed, Kaoru pushed her curtains of dark hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ear, before reaching down for her bag and going through it. "Nope; everything's here," she replied, letting it drop back to the ground. She massaged her temples. "God, I can't believe I slept here. What's the time now?"

"Well, it's a little after four," he replied, after glancing at his wristwatch.

"Four?" she cried out in alarm. "Bloody Sano! Where the hell is he?"

"Sano?" he asked, puzzled.

"My brother! He was supposed to pick me up from here! We're going to pay a visit to my grandparents today, and he was supposed to come and pick me up from campus since it's on our way there," she mumbled, starting to dig in her bag again for her cell phone. She started to punch in a number and placed the phone to her ear. "Excuse me for a minute, would you, Kenshin?"

He nodded. "Take your time, Kaoru-dono," he replied.

Her brother seemed to have picked up, because she was now yelling. "Where the hell are you? It's four! FOUR! You were supposed to meet me here at two! And I've been sleeping on these bloody stairs for two hours! Couldn't you have at least told me you were calling this whole thing off?" she demanded, and paused for a moment, and her expression softened. "Sano, I know you're busy, but really, a little phone call wouldn't have hurt anyone. I could've been back at home by now. I'm very hungry, too - my stomach's growling. Here, do you want to listen?"

She laughed then, and Kenshin couldn't help but appreciate how pretty it sounded coming from her mouth. He realized he was gazing openly at her now, and he forced him self to look away, Aoshi's words ringing in his ears.

The truth was, he was actually very drawn to Kaoru. He was attracted to her in a way he had never experienced before in his life. There was something so special about the girl. She was so lively, so spirited, and yet so naive. He knew for sure that any girl would've seen right through him, seen how he really was, but not Kaoru. This girl didn't seem to care about stuff like that. Kenshin rather liked her. He had liked her since he first saw her. Anything he did after that was an attempt to get closer to her...like the orangeade incident. He was certainly only pretending that he was clueless at that time.

She hung up with her brother and sighed. "Well, we're not going," she announced.

"You don't look very disappointed to me, Kaoru-dono," he remarked.

"You bet I'm not," she said, laughing. "The last thing I want is to visit my grandparents. We're just going out of courtesy."

"Courtesy, or parents' orders?"

Kaoru's expression drooped almost immediately. She looked away from him. "My parents died a couple of years ago in a car crash; it's just been me and Sano since then. My grandparents have helped us a lot at the beginning, so we owe them," she replied.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono," he murmured, and he meant it, too.

She smiled cheerfully at him. "Never mind that now," she replied. She then winced. "God, my butt feels like it's going to drop right off."

"Excuse me?"

She giggled. "Figure of speech, Kenshin - I just meant that my butt's cold," she explained.

He nodded, comprehension dawning upon his face. "Would you like me to warm it for you?" he asked politely, and she stared, bewildered, at him. Kenshin had to fight back a grin. "I just meant that you could sit in my lap for a bit, warm yourself up. I just came out of the building, so I'm pretty warm."

She laughed. "You are too weird, Kenshin, but that's not a bad idea at all," she told him, picking herself up from the floor and plonking down onto his lap. She put her arms around his neck and he felt it was safe to encircle her tiny waist with his arms. "So, how was your history test?"

"It was pretty easy, considering it was about Japanese history," he replied. His nose caught a whiff of her sweet smelling hair, and he strained not to inhale deeply. "I think I'll probably score an A on it."

Kenshin was not a pervert. It was just the fact that he knew he was never going to have Kaoru for himself that caused him to do what he did. After his missions in the area were over, he was going to pack up and leave with Aoshi, never to return to this town again. He was tormented by the horrible reality which told him that he and Kaoru were never going to be together. It wasn't possible, either. She was pure, and his soul was quite meddled. They were miles apart.

"Ooh, so Pink is cocky!" she noted. "That's one thing I didn't know about you."

He laughed. "I'm not cocky, and don't call me Pink!" he retorted.

She smiled at him. "What are you, then, oh man of mystery who always wears pink, eh?" she asked softly. Her blue eyes bore into him, and he felt himself sinking into their depths. "You know, Kenshin, I think I fancy you a little..."

"Oh?" Kenshin was absolutely stunned by how bold she was. He was even more stunned by her confession.

"Well, yes, you're rather different than anyone else I've met," she admitted. "I find that rather refreshing, because, basically, I think all men out there are jerks."

"That's not very nice. Cut us poor blokes some slack!" he protested, and she laughed, and he was blurting it out before he even knew it, "I think I fancy you a little, too, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru blushed then. Kenshin stroked her cheek, and then gently pressed his lips to hers in a light kiss. She didn't kiss him back, but she didn't even push him away, either. When he pulled away, she was looking a little speechless. When she got up from his lap he got worried that he might've offended her, but she just smiled down at him.

"Walk me home, Kenshin?" she asked.

"I think I'd like that very much."

-

**A/N: Gosh, I feel this is getting more dramatic by the chapter, eh? Kenshin finally made his move! Hmm...I wonder what Aoshi will have to say about this? (grins) Well, anyway, please review, won't you? Thanks!!**

**Oh, btw, I just want to inform you that when this story is finished, I shall be updating Falling for Battousai! It shouldn't be too late now, considering how fast I'm updating this, eh? Hehe.**

_- S. N. B. _


	10. Rendezvous

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**Hello all! I'm so sorry for the terribly long delay; I don't know what happened! Actually, well...in the hectic hustle and bustle of exams, I kinda forgot to update my stories! Gomen-nasai! Anyway, I'll shush now and let you get on with this chapter. Oh, and thanks for all the reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 10: Rendezvous**

"I don't believe it, Kaoru...you're actually going out with him? But...but you've only known him for a short while!"

Kaoru sighed as she pulled a comb through her hair. "Let's make a few things clear, Misao, I am _not _going out with Kenshin," she told her. "I'm just meeting him for a nice dinner tonight, and if things go well from there, and we have a second and third date, then we'll be going out. And anyway, why are you so annoyed about this, eh? Normally, you'd be so thrilled for me, you'd actually offer to tag along!"

She could hear her friend tutting impatiently on the other end. "I'm not annoyed about this..." she said defensively. "I'm just-"

"Jealous because Kenshin asked me out while your tall and charming Aoshi-sama wouldn't even look at you?" Kaoru cut her off, her tone playful.

Misao sounded a bit hesitant when she spoke next. "Well..."

Kaoru frowned, and paused midway with her brush. "Well...what? Did you get to talk to him?" she asked curiously, and Misao issued a sort of a grunt. Kaoru laughed. "Oh, wow, Misao, you've got some guts! What did you say to him? Did he show interest or did he brush you off?"

Misao seemed to be shifting restlessly; there was a lot of rustling on her side. "It would be pretty weird if he didn't seem interested, I mean...I used a pretty lousy pick-up line, and many people overheard me and sort of snorted and shook their heads pityingly," she said miserably.

"It couldn't be that bad..."

"It was bad!" Misao said hotly. "I actually asked him which stripper club he worked at so that I could come and watch!"

There was a momentary silence where Kaoru's jaw had dropped open, but the silence slowly and gradually dissolved into fits of hysterical laughter. "You what?" she wheezed, gasping as she laughed. "You asked him for the address of his...his _stripper club_? What on Earth made you say such a thing? Oh, God, Misao, you kill me sometimes!"

Misao was tearful. "Don't laugh; I meant it!" she protested. "It's all your fault, you know, insisting that Kenshin works in a club and that Aoshi's in the same business! I wanted to say something cool and casual like, "Hey, Aoshi, that exam was pretty easy, wasn't it? I saw that you finished your paper rather quickly, and of course, that's not surprising considering how clever you are...", and I would say it in my slurry and sexy voice..."

"You don't have a slurry and sexy voice!"

"You're no help at all!" Misao fumed. "And then he stared at me for a few moments, as if trying to determine whether I'm an idiot or if I'm actually joking, and then he said in a low and quiet voice, "No", and walked off without a second look. I was so humiliated!"

Just then, the door bell rang. "I'm sure you were, Misao, but if you'll excuse me now; I believe Kenshin just arrived and I really must..." she said, and paused when she heard Sano yell, "I'll get it!". She sighed. "Well, look, I'm sure Aoshi doesn't think you're strange because of it. Just corner him some time later and use that same slurry and sexy voice of yours..."

"You're sarcastic," Misao muttered.

"Sure I am, but if you use the right words like..."I'm so sorry about what I said yesterday, Aoshi-kun"...yes, use the Japanese stuff; he looks like the type who might like them..."But I couldn't help it; you've got such a sexy tush and the words just came out", get it?" she said, checking herself several time in her mirror; all seemed intact - no missing earring like what happened on her last date.

Misao gasped. "Kaoru, you're dirty!" she hissed, but she was giggling at the same time. "I don't trust innocent little Pink with you!"

"Hey! He kissed me first, remember?" she said defensively. "Anyway, he's here now, so I'll talk to you some time later, alright? Bye, Misao."

She hurried out of the room and down the stairs; she didn't trust Sano with her dates, he always seemed to scare them off. Not that her brother was scary-looking, but he always placed his gun and handcuffs prominently on the coffee table in the living room, in a sign of "Don't you dare do anything untoward my sister". It was amusing how many of the guys took that unspoken message to heart; some of them wouldn't dare hold her hand.

As she expected, Kenshin and Sano were in the living room with the gun and cuffs between them. Kenshin wasn't wearing any pink tonight, to his credit; Sano would've never approved of a guy who wore pink. He looked rather charming, though, in baggy black pants and a long-sleeved white shirt which was unbuttoned at the top. They seemed to be too busy holding each other's gazes to spare a look at her.

She cleared her throat. "Kenshin? I'm ready now," she said tentatively.

Kenshin jumped up to his feet and made an attempt to move towards her, but stopped short when Sano stood up as well. "Kaoru-dono, you look lovely," he complimented her.

"Thank you, Kenshin; you look quite nice yourself," she replied and purposely marched forward, kissed him on the cheek (much to his bewilderment) and looped an arm through his. She looked defiantly at Sano. "Well, Nii-san, we'll be leaving now. Did you want anything?"

Sano's eyes twinkled. "Have a good time, Jou-chan," he replied, and he glanced at Kenshin. "You seem good, kid; I trust you with her. I'm you that I'm worried about, actually; Kaoru eats a lot, so she might waste your pocket change tonight."

"Sano!" she said hotly.

The corners of Kenshin's mouth quirked in a slight smile. "Thank you, sir," he said with a slight nod. "I'll bring her home on time."

When they were out the door, Kaoru was tugging impatiently at his arm. "You do know he's joking, right? Right? I would never waste your money!" she insisted, and he laughed. "Hey! Don't laugh; it's not funny! Hmph! But you know..."

"Yes?"

"I'm glad; my brother seems to approve of you," she said, leaning against his shoulder as they headed to the car he'd probably borrowed from someone. "He's never trusted anyone with me after our parents died, and was always over-protective of me...but he seemed to like you. I'm glad."

She didn't see his expression, but his voice was soft. "I just hope I can live up to his trust," he murmured.

"I'm sure you will," Kaoru said happily.

-

**A/N: Well, done! This chapter may be some sort of filler, but anyway...I still do hope you liked it, because I would love to see some reviews! I'm returning to my personal review reply feature, which you can view below. Hehe. **

_**Evee-san: **_**Hehe, well, I gave you a little insight to what's going on with Aoshi and Misao in this chapter, didn't I? Thanks for reviewing!**

_**Donnie-O: **_**Hey, there, I'm not sure if I've replied to you or not, since it's been long since I updated (sweatdrops), but no; I'm not from UK. It's just that I've been studying in a British school, and that's where all the terms come from. Thanks for reviewing!**

_**Rurouni October: **_**(gulps) I did make you wait this time, didn't I? So sorry! I promise it won't happen again; I really don't know what's gotten into me!**

_**LogicalGoth: **_**Aww, thank you! I love reviews like that! I'm so sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I swear I've been too busy. (sighs)**

_**Adelaide MacGregor: **_**Thank you!!**

_**The Spirit Mage: **_**Kenshin with glasses? Even I haven't thought of that! You'll get to know who that guy in the bushes is soon enough! Thanks!**

_**The Twilight Rurouni: **_**Yeah, he's very bold, isn't he? I think it makes me funnier. Oh, and about your question concerning whether I'm English or not, I already answered up there in Donnie-O's reply. **

_**Summerstar: **_**A happy ending, eh? Well, we'll see. (winks) Thanks for the review!**

_**Fallen4DarkAngel: **_**Title is quite misleading, isn't it? But I like it, so I'm keeping it! I usually call him Pink, too! (laughs) Thanks for the review!**

_**Californiacheese: **_**(gasp) No! Don't cry! Eeep! Thanks for calling me a "masta"! (laughs)**

_**XPullTheCurtain: **_**Eh hehe...I'll try to update more often. Thanks!**

_**RedWingedAngel002: **_**(beams) Thanks, dear! I'm glad you like it!**

_**Blueninja33: **_**Here's your update!**

**Well, that's all for now. I promise I'll update soon next time, really!**

_**- **__S. N. B. _


	11. Snoopy

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**I am so lousy at keeping promises! More than two months since my last update - now that's just unforgivable, isn't it? sniffle I've been letting you all down, haven't I? My excuse this time? I had my finals, and frankly, I had no idea how to write this chapter properly. I believe I wrote five opening passages before I finally decided on one. Also, I was busy managing my new fanfiction site! Do visit my homepage and check it out, won't you? Anyway, for now, happy reading!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 11: Snoopy**

There was but one way to describe how Kenshin felt: happy.

Sitting there in that fancy restaurant across from Kaoru, who was looking absolutely stunning tonight, Kenshin was able to call him self truly lucky. Yet at the same time he felt rather guilty; he was leading the girl on when he knew that his job really didn't allow him to be involved with anyone. But when it came to Kaoru, he found it difficult to be selfless, especially due to her lively spirit and the fact that she accepted him completely. He doubted she'd accept him if she found out about his true identity, but she did accept him as a geek, didn't she?

Besides, she was absolutely beautiful. She had the most lustrous hair, the brightest eyes and the prettiest laugh...not to mention the cute bum she had on her. Anyone would immediately admit that she was a real catch. Kenshin "caught" her, and he wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

"My, my...Kenshin, are you absolutely sure you want to eat here?" she asked, scrutinizing the menu. "Everything looks absolutely pricey!"

He smiled at her. "Yes, I'm sure," he replied. "Now stop worrying about it and only try to think how you're going to eat and still have room for dessert."

"Ooh, yes! Dessert!" she said, a dreamy look coming across her face. She laughed. "You're still going to have to help me figure out what some of the meals on the menu are! I have never heard of the majority of the dishes here! _Bouillabaisse_? What the heck is that?"

Kenshin scooted closer to his aqua-eyed beauty, and for the remainder of dinner they talked and laughed and even sneaked in a few titbits of food into each other's mouths. Kenshin couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to act so relaxedly. He wished he could be like that all the time, but at the same time knew that once the beeper went off he was going to have brush all this off and go to perform his duty.

He just hoped his beeper wouldn't go off on his date with Kaoru. Was one night for him self just too much to ask? The businessmen and drug dealers and corporate workers who always requested his services could lay off the killing for a day, couldn't they?

In truth, Kenshin and Aoshi had arrived in America upon an invitation from a businessman, who wanted a rival of his finished off. Once the job was done, the pair decided to extend their stay and put out the word in the black market that they were in town for a couple more weeks, and soon job offers were showering upon them like rain! Kenshin preferred the beeper to a cell phone because it prevented people from tracing his whereabouts, but the disadvantage that came with this device is that he had to drop whatever he was doing to rush and find a phone to call from...and he didn't want that to happen tonight.

"Are you okay?"

Kenshin realised that he had let himself get carried away with his thoughts, and he broke out of his reverie with a quick shake of his head. He smiled at Kaoru, who was regarding him anxiously. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he told her.

"About what? You never tell me what you're thinking, Kenshin," she said softly as she reached across the table to put her hand over his.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have such a beautiful lady accompanying me tonight," he replied, and his eyes glinted with mischief.

To her credit, Kaoru didn't even giggle, let alone blush. "I'm not stupid, Kenshin." Her hand squeezed his and she added, "I know you're hiding something from me. There's something you're keeping to yourself and you're refusing to let me in on it."

Kenshin withdrew his hand and gave her a lopsided grin. "You aren't getting at the strip club again, are you?" he teased her, in an attempt to diffuse the tension that had seemed to appear out of nowhere.

She frowned. "I'm not joking this time," she said, giving her a reproachful look. "I mean it. You're troubled. I can tell."

"You're imagining things," he assured her. "I'm very happy, actually. Do you want to go for a walk? They have a beautiful garden outside."

Kaoru sighed and slumped back in her chair. "I give up."

"I'll go get our coats."

-

A few tables away, a young man with a serene smile was dining by himself. He sliced his steak in total silence. He sipped his wine in total silence. He ate his cake in total silence. All this he did with his eyes fixated on the couple. He seemed to have reached a sudden decision when Kenshin got up and gave Kaoru a quick kiss on the lips before walking away from the table, and he quickly whipped out his phone and pressed a number that was on speed dial.

"It's affirmative. Battousai has a thing for the girl." He took a sip of wine. He wasn't spying, who was spying?

"I thought so."

"What should we do now?" He put down his glass.

"Carry on with the original plan. I don't want any mistakes."

"Yes, sir, Shishio-sama."

The young man flipped his cell phone close and pocketed it. He wiped his mouth on his napkin, before folding it neatly and pushing back his chair. He made sure that Kenshin was a good distance away before approaching Kaoru.

"Good evening, Kaoru-san."

-

**A/N: Any guesses on who the man with the serene smile is? grins I know this chapter was short, but you can imagine the drama and secrets that are going to be revealed from now on, eh? And now, before I leave, I feel I must thank those who've reviewed and put up with my lousy promises. **

_**TheTwilightRurouni: **_**But this is better! This way everyone can see that I'm replying! Hehe. Yes, it was a sort of a filler, but I'm glad it made you laugh! Thank you!**

_**Adelaide MacGregor: **_**Thank you!**

_**Falln4DarkAngel: **_**sweatdrop Here's your update. Sorry it took so long! **

_**California-cheese: **_**I hope those muffins kept you busy until now! I'm so terribly sorry it took me so long to update! I hope you liked this chapter.**

_**Evee-san: **_**Misao always has a knack of embarrassing herself, eh? Hehe. Thank you for your review!**

_**KyteAura: **_**Well, that was a humorous chapter, but they may be getting darker from now on. I will keep trying to sneak in the occasional punchline, though. Not to worry. Thanks!**

_**KIT27lovesBAN: **_**So sorry I haven't been updating! And thanks for the review!**

_**PaCT: **_**Haha, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks!**

_**LogicalGoth: **_**Thank you for the review!**

_**Chris's girl 14: **_**grins Thank you for those kind words! Glad you liked it!**

_**Valaroma: **_**Everyone seems to like that pick-up line. Poor Misao! Well, you'll get your answers soon enough. Thank you!**

_**RedWingedAngel002: **_**And you get to see your name again! chuckle Thanks!**

_**Ixchen: **_**Thank you!**

_**The Only Love for Soujiro Seta: **_**Oooh, you tried it? That must've been interesting! Hehe. We'll see how the relationship between Misao and Aoshi develops later on, won't we? Thank you!**

**That is all for now. Wait for my next chapter!**

_- S. N. B. _


	12. Tribulation

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

**Hello! After seeing that my story still has its fans, it urged me to write a new chapter...just to show you how much I appreciate all the reviews that you've sent me. smiles Anyway, I won't chatter a lot now, and I'll leave you to read. Enjoy!**

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 12: Tribulation**

Kaoru looked up, surprised, at the smiling face of the blue-eyed man. One of his hands was resting on the back of her seat, while the other lay on the table, and he leaned down so that there were barely a couple of centimeters between their faces. For some reason, even though he was smiling, Kaoru felt a sense of ominousness radiating from his eyes. His breath fell on her face and she recoiled.

"E-excuse me, do I know you?" she asked, unable to keep the stutter out of her voice.

"No," the man replied, the smile not leaving his face.

This caused her to lean away even further. "But you seem to know me," she said, her throat tight with worry.

"Only through a mutual friend," he informed her. "You do know Kenshin, right?"

Kaoru felt her self relaxing ever so slightly. "Kenshin has been telling you about me?" she inquired, trying to stop the smile that was tugging at the corners of her lips.

"He talks about you all the time," he assured her. "In fact, I met him on his way to get your coat, and he asked me if I could tell you to meet him outside while he goes and pays the bill."

"Oh." Kaoru sighed in relief. She picked up her purse and the guy moved away to give her room to stand up. She smiled at him. "Thank you for conveying the message, er...what did you say your name was?"

"Soujiro, Soujiro Seta," he answered. "Shall I keep you company until Kenshin returns?"

"That would be lovely, thanks!"

-

Coat hanging off his arm, Kenshin made his way back to the table. He hoped Kaoru wouldn't have lost patience, for he had taken a while back in the coat room because of the elderly man who had asked for help finding his coat since he'd left his spectacles back at his table. However, when the table did come into view and he saw that Kaoru wasn't sitting there, he grew anxious. Could she have really lost patience and left in a storm of rage? Or maybe she was in the ladies' room? Or maybe...?

He stopped wondering when he saw a folded piece of paper on the table. He picked it up. His heart stopped for the briefest of moments.

_**Your lady friend is with us. **_

_**We'll beep you with details soon. **_

_**The Juppon Katana**_

"Shit." Kenshin dropped the coat. He grabbed the arm of a waiter who was passing by. "The girl who was sitting her, have you seen her?"

The waiter looked startled, nevertheless, he answered. "Y-yes, sir. She left the table with a man..."

"What did he look like?"

"I don't know, I didn't take a proper look-"

"_What _did he look like?"

"He had black hair, I think...thin, short..."

"Shit. Do you have a phone anywhere around here?"

"Yes, please follow me this way, sir."

_Times like these, I wish I had a cell phone on me._

-

"Excuse me a moment, I'm being paged. Actually, do you have a phone?"

"Erm...yes, it's right there."

Aoshi didn't know the number that paged him, but he was pretty sure it was Kenshin or someone who wanted to do business. He got up from the couch and headed to the little stand which bore the phone. He dialed the number on his beeper's screen and waited for a couple of seconds before the phone was picked up.

"Hello, Shino-"

"Aoshi! It's me!" came the urgent voice of Kenshin on the other end.

Aoshi rolled his eyes. "What do you want? I'm a little busy at the moment," he hissed.

His eyes travelled idly to the girl who was sitting on the couch, currently sitting up on the couch, smoothing down her clothes and hastily buttoning the top of her shirt, which he'd expertly undone at some point. Misao Makimachi was really something. He had been strolling down the street when he'd come across her as she was stepping out of the local library. She had appeared flustered when she'd seen him, like she always does, and would've continued to ramble if he hadn't asked her if he she wanted a walk home...because it was getting dark and he didn't want her to go home on her own.

She'd agreed in a heartbeat, and she'd even invited him in for a bite. One thing led to another and they fell together on the couch, kissing furiously. Kenshin had interrupted a particularly good kiss; Aoshi was just about to...

"Aoshi, the Juppon Katana kidnapped Kaoru. I need your help," Kenshin said quietly.

"What? Are you serious?" he demanded. "God, what did I tell you about getting involved with that person? See what you've gotten her into now!"

"Aoshi, I don't need this right now. Are you going to help me or not?"

He sighed. "Yes. Where do I meet you?"

He took the directions from Kenshin and hung up. He turned with an apologetic look to Misao. "I'm afraid I need to go now. That was my friend on the phone and he needed my urgent help," he told her.

"Oh, that's quite alright," she assured him.

"Let's carry on from where we left some other time, okay?" he asked, letting his eyes roam freely over her body.

She blushed, nervously fingering her shirt buttons. "S-sure," she stammered.

-

**A/N: There you go, you Aoshi/Misao lovers! Haha. Things are getting more intense, aren't they? Well, I do hope you've liked this chapter! I'll try to update soon, but my site is blooming rather rapidly and it's really taking over my life. Well, we'll see.**

**Ja ne!**

_- S. N. B. _


	13. Revelation

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

**"How dare she show her face again?" I hear them say. "She hasn't updated this story since August, so how does she expect us to forgive her?" I nod meekly and say, "You have every right to be mad at me. I don't even have a proper excuse this time. But...I've updated now, and that's good enough, right?" **

**"Nope."**

**"Oh, well, enjoy the chapter, anyway, those of you who're still around!" **

**The Geek in the Pink**

**Chapter 13: Revelation  
**

Kaoru couldn't begin to comprehend what was going on. One moment she was having a lovely dinner with Kenshin and the next she was being shoved inside the back of a limo by Kenshin's so-called "friend". How did those two events even relate to each other? The "friend" was sitting across from her now, still wearing that serene smile he'd greeted her with at the restaurant. She hated that smile; she wanted to rip it right off of his face, but how could she do that when she was bound and gagged?

"I'm sorry for my behavior, Kamiya-san," Soujirou said. "But you must understand how absolutely crucial it is for you to come along with me."

She merely glared at him. She would've wanted to chew his head off, but the scarf prevented her from making any form of coherent speech. She fidgeted with the tape that was holding her hands behind her back, but in vain; it was too tightly wrapped around her wrists. So she glared again.

"You see, I've been watching you," he said. "And by you I mean you and Kenshin. I've seen how close he seems to you. It looked like you were someone of importance to him, and do you realize how rare it is for that to happen? His relationship with Shinomori is strictly about business, so I doubt it would've mattered to him if we'd kidnapped Shinomori...but he seemed to geniunely like you. The last person he liked was his wife, but it's long since she's been dead...almost ten years now."

Kaoru's eyes widened. Kenshin had a wife? And ten years ago? But Kenshin was only eleven then; wasn't it against the law for a child to be married? But wait...was Kenshin really twenty-one years old? She had a million questions racing through her head now and didn't have an answer for any one of them.

"Judging by your look, he obviously didn't tell you about Tomoe, eh?" he said. He crossed his arms behind his head, closed his eyes and added in an offhand sort of voice, "Yup. He loved Tomoe, or so I heard. However, I really can't understand why he would kill her when he apparently loved her. It really befuddles me. Why do you think he killed her, Kamiya-san?"

If she wasn't gagged, Kaoru's jaw would've probably dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing - Kenshin killed his wife? Hold on, wait, why should she believe this? Why should she believe anything this guy was telling her? He kidnapped her, after all. Didn't that make everything he uttered a complete lie?

"I'm not lying to you, Kamiya-san," he said, and she gulped.

He sounded so sure. How could he be sure about Kenshin's past?

Soujirou leaned forward. "Did Kenshin ever tell you what he does for a living?" he questioned.

Slowly, grudgingly, Kaoru shook her head.

"Your beloved Kenshin is an assassin," he told her, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "People hire him all the time. They pay him money and he goes and does the dirty work for them. Sounds delightful, doesn't it?"

Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. This was a lie. It had to be a lie. That pink-wearing geek couldn't be an assassin.

"I'm not lying, Kamiya-san," he said yet again. "I'm sorry, but this is not a lie. Do you want me to remove the scarf? Do you promise not to scream?"

She nodded, and he reached out and gently tugged away the scarf. She felt rather tearful now. "Kenshin is not an assassin; he wouldn't hurt a fly," she insisted. "You must be talking about somebody else."

"Kamiya-san, I doubt you'd find many red-headed assassins with a cross-shaped scar on their cheek," he pointed out.

"But it's Kenshin..." she said in a feeble voice. "The Kenshin I know..."

"You do not _know _the real Kenshin, Kamiya-san," he cut her off. "The Kenshin you know is just an act he put up to keep his identity hidden."

Kaoru fought back bitter tears. "Let's just say...hypothetically, that Kenshin is indeed an assassin," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "What's that got to do with me?"

"Kamiya-san, I already told you that you're of importa-" he started.

"So _what?_" she cried. "So what if I'm important to him? What does it matter to you if I'm important or not?"

"Kenshin is competition, Kamiya-san," he answered.

"Competition?" she repeated.

"He's taking away all the customers," he continued. "The Juppongatana used to be the leaders in this area, but I really didn't get to kill anyone since they came here, you know? We're just trying to eliminate the competition here."

Kaoru's voice died in her throat. _An assassin. I'm sitting in a limo with a cold-blooded assassin. What the hell did I get myself into? _

"Oh, look, your phone's ringing," he said suddenly. He fished her cell phone out of her purse and flipped it open. "Hello? This is Kamiya Kaoru's phone." He smiled at her and mouthed, "It's your brother!"

"Sano," she breathed. "Sa-mmmph!"

Soujirou had leaped forward and clamped a hand over her mouth. "You promised not to scream," he reminded her. He turned back to the phone. "Sanosuke-san, your sister is with us now. Please contact Himura Kenshin so that we can reach a compromise. Tell him the Juppongatana sent you. Good bye."

----

Kenshin was still waiting at the restaurant for Aoshi to arrive when a waiter approached and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, are you Kenshin Himura?" he asked. Kenshin felt rather alarmed, but he nodded anyway. "Would you please come with me, then? You've got a call at the reception desk."

Someone was calling him? Kenshin's mind immediately jumped to the Juppongatana, and he hurried after the waiter. They handed him a phone and he stood aside to answer it.

"Hello? Kenshin Himura speaking," he said quietly.

"Himura," came a voice on the other end; Kenshin recognized that voice. "This is Sanosuke speaking."

_Shit. _"Hello, Sanosuke," he said, trying to sound completely casual. "How's everything? I'm surprised that you called. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Don't give me that bull, Himura," Sanosuke snapped. "Where the hell is my sister?"

"What? Kaoru's with me, of course! We were just having dessert, so if you don't mind, I'll just go back to the..." Kenshin said.

"Bullshit," Sano cut him off. "I just got off with the Juppongatana, Himura. I was calling up my sister to see how her date was going, and one of the Juppongatana answers my call. I don't mean to sound like a prick, but that never happened with any of the guys she went out with. I have never called and found out that my sister is being held captive by one of the most dangerous assassination web. What more, they asked me to call you so that we can reach a compromise. So answer me this, Himura - what the hell is going on here?"

Kenshin cursed under his breath. An overprotective brother was the last thing he needed right now.

----

**A/N: Done! As usual, a short chapter, but I'll try to make a quicker update. Until next time...please review! Ja ne!**

_- S. N. B. _


	14. Colloquies

**D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

**Heya! I'm back with the fourteenth chapter! Thanks to all of those who reviewed the thirteenth chapter! Knowing that there are still people out there who read my stories really does mean quite a lot to me! So...thank you so much! **

**On to the chapter! **

**The Geek in the Pink **

**Chapter 14: Colloquies**

"He's coming here? Now?"

Kenshin nodded meekly. He couldn't tell Sanosuke everything on the phone, so he asked him to come to the restaurant. He hadn't thought it through; after he'd hung up with the man, he wondered about what he should say to him once he arrived. Sanosuke was, after all, a policeman or something similar...Kenshin couldn't just tell him that he is an assassin.

Aoshi pushed a hand through his hair. "I warned you, Kenshin. I _warned _you," he muttered.

"Look, I didn't know this was going to happen," Kenshin protested. "We were just having dinner! We were in a public place; I didn't believe they would dare and do something."

"And that's your problem, you fool," Aoshi snapped. He took a drag from the cigarette he was holding. "You should never underestimate the enemy. You'd think that after the last time, you would've learned not to do that."

Kenshin's head snapped up. His eyes flashed. "Aoshi..." he said warningly.

Aoshi didn't flinch. "I'm just stating the facts," he said coolly. "I'm just pointing out the obvious. I'm reminding you of what had happened last time so that you won't repeat the same mistakes again."

"Bit late for reminders, don't you think?" Kenshin muttered.

Aoshi snuffed out his cigarette with his shoe and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We should get out of here," he stated. Kenshin raised an eyebrow at him. "You're really not planning on staying here and waiting for Kaoru's brother, are you? Don't be so stupid, Himura. Honestly, do you just lose sense of everything when you're in love with someone?"

Kenshin wanted to strangle him, but Aoshi did have a point. He gripped the hilt of the sword Aoshi had been so kind to bring along. Really, what good would it do him to just stay put and wait for Sanosuke to arrive? After all, he couldn't tell him anything substantial...he couldn't tell him anything which would not discriminate him. The best thing to do would be to just go and try to find Kaoru on his own.

"Let's go deal with them."

----

Sanosuke was furious.

He was generally a calm man; few things could make him furious. One of these things involved Kaoru, and people who harm her.

Sanosuke was also quite panicked.

He was generally a fearless man; few things could make him afraid. One of these things involved Kaoru, and the idea of Kaoru being hurt.

Tonight, all of these things were happening. He still couldn't believe that he'd spoken to a member of the Juppongatana. He'd been hunting those guys for years and never once did he come into contact with them, but the one time he didn't want to talk to them, they contact him? Something was definitely wrong with the picture here. And where was that bastard Kenshin? Where was the guy who'd put Kaoru in such a situation in the first place?

A waiter approached him. "Sir, I just asked the valet, and he says he saw the redhead leave in a car with some other man," he said.

"So his car is still here?" Sanosuke demanded.

"Yes, it's still here."

"Take me to it, and give me the keys," Sanosuke ordered. When the waiter started to protest, Sano merely held up his badge. "Now."

The waiter nodded wordlessly. He mentioned for Sanosuke to follow him, and they both went to the valet, who in turn led them over to Kenshin's car and opened it for them. Sanosuke snatched the keys out of the valet's hand, sat down in the driver's seat and shut the door behind him.

"Sir-" the valet started.

"I'm confiscating this car, so please don't interfere. Now leave," he snapped. When they were gone, he leaned towards the glove compartment and popped it open. It was empty save for a beeper. Frowning, he picked it up. "I thought kids these days had cell phones..."

Just then, the beeper beeped and a number appeared on the screen. As a man who was desperate for any form of lead, he took out his cell phone and quickly dialed the number. He listened to the rhythmic beat of the phone for a few moments before someone finally picked up.

"B-battousai?"

Sanosuke's frown deepened. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"Shinamori-san? I'm s-sorry, no offence, b-but I'll be requiring Battousai's services this time, so could I p-please talk to him?" the man stuttered.

"You asshole," Sanosuke hissed. The man gasped, but Sanosuke had already hung up.

His breathing was becoming heavy, and he was clenching his fists so tightly the knuckles were becoming white. Of all the people Kaoru could have dated, she had to pick the cold-blooded assassin known as Battousai? He banged his fist against the dashboard.

"Damn it, Kaoru! Whatever happened to your instincts?"

---

Kaoru was pushed into what looked like a round conference room. There was a round table, and a number of people were seated around it. On closer inspection, she counted eleven. It was too dark for her to make out their faces, however. The door was shut behind her, and Seta made his way to the only vacant chair left.

There was an ominous feel to this room, and Kaoru felt terrified in spite of herself. She took a couple of steps back and bumped into the closed wooden door. Her hands were still knotted together...not that that mattered, anyway. She didn't think she'd be able to escape even if she wanted to.

"Kaoru-san, we're delighted to have you with us," someone said in a raspy, coarse voice.

She gulped. "Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" she croaked.

"Now, now, let's wait for your friend, Kenshin, to arrive first," the same person replied.

There was a swift movement that barely registered in the corner of her eye, and someone was standing next to her. Kaoru felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she slowly turned her head around to look into the bandaged face and fathomless eyes of the speaker. She thought she saw a glint of red in them. There was something about him that made her heart drop to her stomach.

"And then we'll start the party," he breathed into her face.

---

**A/N: All done! First time I've done three perspectives in one chapter. Oh, well. I hope you liked it. Please review! **

_- S. N. B. _


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